Jedi Squad

Friends of the house

Yoda

Tropidacris cristata

Silent council member

Yoda

Giant grasshopper. Doesn't give advice, just stays very quiet.

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Luke and Leia also have unexpected friends on the land. The most memorable so far: a giant grasshopper that one afternoon decided to land on the terrace wall and stay there, motionless, the size of a full hand.

We named it 'Yoda' — given its greenish-yellow tone, enormous size for an insect, and absolute calm as it let itself be picked up, the name felt inevitable. Unlike the Jedi master, Yoda doesn't dispense advice: it just stays still, watching everything with those huge eyes, until it decides to jump and reminds us that, if it wanted to, it could disappear in an instant.

"Yoda doesn't dispense advice: it just stays still, watching everything with those huge eyes."

Given its size, the net pattern on its wings, and the orange border on its thorax, everything points to Yoda being a giant grasshopper (Tropidacris cristata) — one of the largest grasshoppers in the Americas, whose hind wings are an intense red that's only visible when it flies.

• It's one of the largest grasshopper species in the American continent, reaching up to 14 centimeters in length.
• It lives from Mexico to South America, in tropical and jungle climates — like southeastern Mexico.
• At rest, it looks yellow-green with black spots, camouflaged among dry leaves — but when it flies, it displays bright red rear wings to surprise predators.
• Its hind legs allow it to jump distances far superior to its own body size.
• It feeds mainly on leaves from a wide variety of tropical plants.
• It's completely harmless to people — it doesn't bite or sting, although its size can be intimidating at first sight.
• It can live over a year in the wild.

Friends of the house

Red Leader y Red Two

Caracara plancus

Flight squad

Red Leader & Red Two

Crested caracaras. Always in formation of two.

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The other regular neighbors: a pair of birds of prey that perch almost daily on the same dry branch, looking out over the entire grounds as if they were in charge. We've named them 'Red Leader' and 'Red Two' — squadron names, because they always appear flying in formation.

"They always appear flying in formation of two."

Given its dark body, cream-colored head and neck, and orange skin around the beak, everything points to Red Leader and Red Two being crested caracaras (Caracara plancus) — birds of prey very common in southeastern Mexico, although they're often simply called 'eagles' due to their size and demeanor.

• Despite its eagle-like appearance, it's actually a hawk relative — more closely related to hawks than true eagles.
• It's one of the most common birds of prey in southeastern Mexico, easy to spot perched on dry branches or posts at the edge of fields and roads.
• It feeds mainly as a scavenger, but also hunts small prey like insects, reptiles, and rodents.
• Unlike most birds of prey, it walks and runs with ease on the ground while foraging for food.
• It usually lives in pairs for life and defends the same territory for years.
• It's very opportunistic: it won't hesitate to approach human-inhabited areas if food is available.
• It can live for over 25 years in the wild.

Friends of the house

Qui-Gon Jinn

Alouatta pigra

The most serene on the council

Qui-Gon Jinn

Howler monkey. Heard before seen — up to 2 km away.

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The latest addition to the local fauna is a black howler monkey that started appearing in the tops of the tallest trees — usually hidden among the leaves, only revealing itself for a few seconds before disappearing again.

Before we saw it, we'd already heard it: the howl of a howler monkey can be heard from one to two kilometers away, and the first time it echoed across the land, more than one person wondered if something had happened to the newborn calf. No — it was just the new neighbor announcing its presence.

We named it Qui-Gon Jinn — the most serene Jedi of all, the one who never loses his calm, even when the rest of the Council is upset. It fits: the monkey stays still in the highest branches, observing everything as if in its own private meditation, without coming down to mix with the rest of the cast — ostriches, giant grasshoppers, a squadron of caracaras, and now a full battalion of buffaloes with names of armed rebels.

"The most serene Jedi of all, the one who never loses his calm."

Due to its completely black fur, long prehensile tail, and dense beard under the jaw, everything points to Qui-Gon being a black howler monkey or Yucatecan saraguato (Alouatta pigra) — the largest primate in Mexico after humans, native to the jungle of the Yucatán Peninsula.

• It's the largest primate in the entire American continent, after humans.
• Its howl — a deep roar that serves to mark territory and warn other groups — can be heard from one to two kilometers away.
• It lives almost exclusively in the trees, in the low and medium forests of southeastern Mexico: Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Chiapas, and Tabasco.
• It has a prehensile tail, as long as its own body, which it uses as a fifth limb to hold onto while eating.
• The male is noticeably larger than the female and is the one that emits the loudest howls.
• It feeds mainly on leaves, as well as fruits and flowers.
• Females reach sexual maturity between 26 and 30 months of age; males, between 36 and 40.
• It's classified as Endangered by the IUCN and protected by the Mexican standard NOM-059 — seeing one up close is no small thing.

35 facts about ostriches

1. It's the largest living bird in the world. Barely lives up to the expectations I have for them.
2. It can't fly — its wings are used for balance while running and in courtship. Basically decorative, like many boards of directors.
3. It's the fastest land bird: it can run up to 70 km/h. Faster than any business proposal I've received this year.
4. It can maintain around 50 km/h for long distances without getting tired. I wish my wifi had that kind of consistency.
5. Each stride while running can be between 3 and 5 meters. With that stride, I'd have already walked to the office.
6. It has only two toes per foot — the rest of the birds have three or four. Fewer toes, zero drama — something we could all learn from.
7. Its kicks are so strong they can be lethal even for a lion. Take note: the real security guard of this house is already hired.
8. It has the largest eyes of any land animal: about 5 centimeters in diameter. They see everything. Absolutely everything. Yes, even that time you left the door open.
9. An ostrich's eye is literally bigger than its own brain. There are people posting on LinkedIn with that same proportion.
10. It lays the largest eggs of any living bird. I wish I had a average ticket that big.
11. An ostrich egg is equivalent to about 24 chicken eggs. For what my siblings eat, that doesn't even count as a start.
12. The shell is so resistant that an adult can stand on it without breaking it. More resistant than any improvised business plan on a napkin.
13. It's not true that they bury their heads in the sand — the myth comes from when they lower their heads to ground level to turn the eggs in the nest. So they don't avoid their problems either — another thing they surpass us at.
14. It's native to the savannas and semi-arid areas of Africa. And yet they adapted to Méridacapital y ciudad más poblada del estado de Yucatán, México without complaining about the heat. What an example.
15. It's omnivorous: it eats mostly plants, seeds, and grasses, but also insects and small reptiles. Eats whatever it finds, like me in a meeting that's gone on too long.
16. Since it doesn't have teeth, it swallows pebbles (gastroliths) that help it grind food in its gizzard. A digestive system with more operational discipline than many startups.
17. It can go several days without drinking water, getting moisture from the plants it eats. I'm a public danger without coffee after two hours.
18. Its lifespan is 30 to 40 years — even more in captivity. So this is a long-term relationship, not an internship.
19. It reaches sexual maturity between 2 and 4 years of age. They mature faster than some partners I've had.
20. Adult males are mostly black with white feathers on their wings and tail; females are a grayish brown. The only dress code in this house that's actually respected.
21. An adult male can weigh between 90 and 130 kilograms — some exceed 150. And yet they run faster than me on a Monday morning.
22. It can measure up to 2.7 meters tall. Taller than I imagined when I said 'a couple of new pets'.
23. Its long neck allows it to detect predators from very far away in the savanna. Also useful for seeing who arrived unannounced at the property.
24. It has exceptional hearing and vision. They find out everything before the family WhatsApp group.
25. It lives and moves in groups, usually between 5 and 50 individuals. Like a board meeting, but with better attendance.
26. It's curious by nature: it investigates everything that moves near it. If they worked at Ignia Cloud, they'd already be on the QA team.
27. It often shares territory with zebras and wildebeests, which take advantage of its good eyesight to detect danger. The interspecies networking that I have to work so hard to do.
28. Its nest is just a hole in the sand, sometimes shared by several females from the same group. Less infrastructure than many startups in the seed stage, and yet it works.
29. The dominant female usually lays her eggs right in the center of the nest, where they're best protected. I wish I had that clarity of hierarchy in a board meeting.
30. Males usually take care of incubating the eggs at night. The only one in this house who does night shifts without complaining.
31. It can run in zigzags to confuse a predator during a chase. The same technique I use to avoid unnecessary meetings.
32. Its plumage, although it doesn't fly, helps regulate its temperature under the sun. Functional and stylish — something most sacks don't achieve.
33. It's farmed in several countries — including Mexico — for its meat, skin, and feathers. A topic that {{AGE}} Luke and Leia prefer not to discuss at dinner, and {{OWL}} also avoids.
34. An ostrich chick can grow up to 30 centimeters per month during its first year. At that speed, you'd better not blink — or buy bigger clothes every month.
35. It can live perfectly in pairs or groups and recognizes those who care for it every day. And yet they still don't recognize who pays for their food — typical.